Razorblade Romance
by MissCarbon
Summary: Those infamous three years.
1. One

**::ONE::**

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 **Disclaimer:** **DBZ is owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animations.**

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Bulma jerked her safety goggles off and tossed them onto the cluttered work table in front of her. With a sigh of relief, she leaned back in the chair and propped her feet up on the table, relaxing for the first time in hours.

"Finally done with those damned things," she huffed as she ran a hand through her hair.

Among the tabletop sat four small, gleaming black bots. And although she despised doing anything at all for for that worthless monkey, Bulma _was_ quite satisfied with the work she had completed for him.

For the majority of the past few months Bulma had been confined to the small workrooms down in Capsule Corporation repairing the rounded bots more times than she could count. Though, she had to admit, she _did_ like the distraction the bots caused, keeping her away from the mundane occurrences within Capsule Corp (or lack there of, as of late). So, of course when the big headed Saiyan waltzed into her office littering the floor with the remnants of the bots she took them eagerly.

It became a reoccurring theme with the two. He would easily destroy the bots and then Bulma would always be there to sweep in and save the day. But alas, she had been growing tiresome of their routine; not to mention his ungrateful attitude towards her hadn't improved in the slightest, _even_ _though_ she had been nice enough to repair the bots again and again. This time Bulma had devised a plan to spice it up a notch.

For the past few weeks she had been trying to come up with a new design for the bots to where they wouldn't break under his extreme force as easily, but again and again Bulma came to a dead end. So, instead of trying to design a whole new bot she had decided to turn her focus to the inside of the bots, and with her brilliant mind she had easily configured new circuity and implanted them into each bot.

Now, the small bots could absorb his energy blasts' then (and this was her favorite part) they would quickly send the blast back to him! A smirk grew upon her face. She knew he wouldn't be expecting anything like this and she loved it! The prick needed to be knocked down from his high horse and she was intending on making that happen the best way she knew how. She felt like an evil genius! Why hadn't she thought of this sooner?

Removing her feet from the table, Bulma swiveled in the chair and stared out the opened door.

"Daaady. . ." she called out sweetly. She stood and exited the workroom.

In the center of the main laboratory stood a damaged spaceship. It was tall, almost reaching the third floor landing, and it was beat up pretty bad; red paint peeling on its smashed rudders, a huge dent caving in the entire left side. The ship was beyond repair, at least in her eyes it was. She would have definitely refused to work on it; but yet, her father, even on the latter side of sixty, had agreed to fix it. His age didn't stop him and she admired him immensely for his hard work ethic. Though, mending old ships _was_ one of her father's favorite hobbies anyways.

"Dad?" Bulma called out again, walking around toward the entrance of the ship. She peaked her head inside to find an empty, dark cabin. "You in here?"

She heard her father's disembodied voice drift through interior of the ship. "Yes, dear," he said.

"Where?" she questioned backing out of the ship, shutting the door.

"Up here," he said, his voice much clearer this time.

Bulma looked up towards the sound and her eyes instantly bulged, alarm bells sounding within her mind. Her sixty-eight year old father was practically dangling off the roof of the ship!

"Kami, Dad! Get down from there before you get hurt!" she yelled, quickly scrambling around the large lab looking for a ladder or any type of apparatus to help him down. How could he think to be up there alone? Especially at this time of night with the other employees gone for the day. While in her haste Bulma was suddenly stopped by laughter. . . her father's laughter. As her cheeks flushed bright red, she turned to slowly glare up at him.

"What?" he questioned as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Oh gosh, honey, I'm fine see?" He tapped the end of the blowtorch he held in his hand against the boots he was wearing. "They're the same type of gravity boots I made for Goku when he was on that trip to that planet Namek."

Bulma attempted to sustain her death scowl and he continued on.

"They have very powerful reinforced magnets on the bottom. Don't you remember? Now enough worrying about me, what is it that you need?"

"Well," she began after a moment, pausing only to contain the resentment in her voice. "I _need_ you go to take the finished bots to our _guest_."

Bulma hated speaking speaking of the alien as if he were an actual friend of the familys'. She was only living through this nightmare because Goku had asked her. The guy needed a place to stay and Capsule Corp was the most obvious choice. And at first, Bulma was all for it. Helping out someone who was going to be protecting the planet she lived on was something Bulma couldn't turn down. Her friends really did need all the help they could get. But as the days began to slowly turn into months, she had grown less fond of her once generous offer. The man was a complete animal with no sense of respect for anyone or anything! He had disrespected everyone since he had gotten here and it really had only gotten worse. So, as any civilized woman would do, she had decided not to speak to him; and needless to say there had been a lot less conflict in the house.

"Of course I will dear," her father said cheerfully, the crows feet deepening as he smiled. "But not at the moment though. Let me finish up what I've been working on then I should be able to call it a night. Shouldn't take more than an hour or two."

"An hour or two?" she repeated loudly. "You need to take them to him _now_! He's been waiting all afternoon."

"And he'll have to wait a little longer," Dr. Briefs interjected sharply. "I'm not leaving until I've reapplied the injector coil and reinforced the left fender."

"Daddy please!" she begged, clasping her hands together in desperation. Bulma knew the monkey was probably growing antsy by the minute without the bots to train with and she was trying at all cost not to let him blow up on the only person who was around at the moment: her mother.

"Why don't you ask you mother?" her father said, following her train of thought. "I'm sure she'd be more than happy to relay the message."

Bulma dropped her hands and resisted a face palm. Of course she could ask her mother. She felt dumb for not thinking of it herself. That woman did had a strange attraction toward that man and it would be no problem for her to deliver the package, Bulma was sure of.

Seeing the registration upon her face, Dr. Briefs nodded once and lowered the face shield he was wearing, relit the the blowtorch and picked right up where he had left off without a hitch; sparks immediately flying.

Slowly, Bulma sauntered back inside the small room she had spent the majority of the day in, fatigue instantly ravaging her body. She grabbed a capsule case from the drawer and pulled a small pink one out. Clicking the top, Bulma tossed it on the bots and instantly a flash of smoke covered them. Once the smoke cleared the capsule sat among the litter that trashed the table, the bots safely stored within. With a smile, she turned and exited the room, thankful to be done for the day.

Once she gave the capsule to her mother she headed up to her room. A nice, long, and relaxing bubble bath was calling her name tonight.

 **XxX**

Sweat beads rolled down the sides of his face and into his dark eyes, burning them with every blink. Vegeta had been in the Gravity Chamber for only a few hours this time when the bots were easily destroyed by his atomic blast. He snarled as he thought back to the moment they had practically disintegrated into thin air. Cheap human technologies. They were no match against the things he had come into contact with throughout his vast travels in space. Way more advanced devices had graced his presence than what the blue haired woman produced from her laboratory.

Vegeta spat onto the floor, coming to terms with the hand he had been dealt. Here he was, a prince! And not just _any_ prince, prince of the all mighty Saiyan Warriors! A prince wasn't supposed to be helping his enemies protect a worthless muball planet. They were supposed to be cowering, sniveling beings who groveled at his feet. They should be serving him. Fighting for him, and laying their lives down on the line. Not the other way around. But yet, here he was. Vegeta detested himself. How could he have succumbed to this? This was not him. He didn't help anyone. Especially ones he had attempted to kill in the past, and vice versa.

He was a failure. He'd had a direct objective in mind and it hadn't concluded the way he had planned. And not only was he outsmarted by some pesky humans, his pride had taken a major hit below the belt as well once he found out Kakarot had ascended into the legendary Super Saiyan while on Namek.

"Dammit!" he yelled, slamming his fist into the salt-and-pepper tile, cracking it.

Shame coated his body as thick as sweat. How could a lower class Saiyan like Kakarot ascend before him? Kakarot hadn't live a tough life. Unlike what Vegeta had endured, Kakarot had had it easy. He hadn't trained in grueling conditions on vast planets out in the far reaches of space; while under Frieza no less. He hadn't combated with a thousand different species or wiped an entire planet clean with a single blow. _No!_ He wasn't the prince of _all_ Saiyans. He didn't have royal blood flowing through his veins. Kakarot was just about as useless as a human.

But yet, he'd made it. . . He had morphed into the ultimate legend of his people: A Super Saiyan.

For a real quick second Vegeta scanned the area with his senses then quickly recoiled once he had found what he'd been looking for. The three beings were north of the city. Each of their power levels significantly higher than what they had been on Namek. Vegeta cursed himself for being so stupid. The anger that he had been trying to control began boiling out, shaking the chamber. He blew out a puff of air, attempting to control himself. He knew better than to reach out and check up on his enemies. Kakarot was getting stronger with each passing day, and Vegeta hated every minute of it. He wished Kakarot into the deepest, darkest pits of Hell.

"Hello. Excuse me."

Vegeta jerked his head quickly towards the entrance. He hadn't sensed anyone walking close to his confinements. The loathing he felt toward himself greatly intensified. This was not him. He wasn't usually so self-indulged with his thoughts. It was this planet. It had to be. It _had_ to be the cause of his distracted thoughts. Maybe it was the air he was breathing or the food he was eating; though, he had to admit, the food _was_ significantly better than what he was used to. He had to get away from here before this planet consumed him. Vegeta owed it nothing.

So what if these alleged androids were coming three years from now? He should return back to space and enjoy the fireworks the androids were going to cause when they destroyed the earth for him. But no, he couldn't do that. His ego wouldn't let him. If anyone was going to kill Kakarot and destroy this planet it was going to be him. Vegeta would be the one to have Kakarot's lifeblood trailing down his fingertips in the end as the poor soul begged and pleaded for his life. That would be the day.

"Ah, _hellooo_ , Vegeta?"

"WHAT?" he yelled towards the door.

The gravity pull began to lighten as his darkened energy threatened to collapse the interior of the room. The woman outside shrieked as the chamber gave a deep, creaking moan, its structure threatening to snap. Vegeta clamped his jaw shut and blew out a puff of air through his nose. The hatred that pumped inside of him was clouding his judgement. Undeniably he knew his thoughts were too consumed by Kakarot; how else could _she_ have snuck up on him without his knowledge? He needed to get a grip.

Finally taking a few moments to calm down, Vegeta pushed himself up from the prone position he'd been in. He powered down the chamber and exited, not feeling the need to train anymore. As the door of the chamber slid open he was greeted by the small blonde woman. She stood at the end of the ramp, smiling brightly up at him.

"There you are dear," she said, chuckling to herself. "How are you this evening?"

Never cutting his eyes in her direction Vegeta made his way past her and walked over onto the small deck that extended from the back side of the house. He heard the woman trailing behind him and rolled his eyes. As he reached the opened sliding glass doors she spoke again, the information she relayed stilling his steps.

"I have the bots for you. Bulma just brought them up a moment ago." She walked quickly around, light on her feet, and stopped right in front of him, holding out a small pink capsule that concealed his bots. She stared up at his hardened features, her bright blue eyes never showing any fear. "Are you hungry?"

Vegeta gave the woman a sneer and snatched the capsule from her hand. Now that he had the bots the urge to continue his routine was growing but his stomach protested otherwise. It gave off a loud, noticeable growl. She giggled, his sneer turning into a deeper, threatening glare.

"C'mon sweetie, I have something almost ready to come out of the oven. I made it especially for you!"

The woman turned on a dime and strolled onward into the massive kitchen. Remorsefully, Vegeta followed behind silently. She walked around the large island and over to the oven, taking a peek through the small window. She placed a mitt upon her hand and pulled out a large steaming glass plate. The aroma of food instantly hit his nostrils and his mouth began to water. Vegeta was suddenly realizing how hungry he actually was; and he almost couldn't restrain himself from grabbing the large plate himself to devour it face first. But holding himself to a higher standard, Vegeta held his ground and took a seat at the large dining room table. The woman scooped a large helping onto a smaller plate and brought it over to him.

"Here you go, sir."

Vegeta smirked at her words. It was about time somebody took some recognition for his royal lineage and treated him with respect. He slowly picked up the fork, deciding the bots could wait just a little while longer. It was about time he replenished his energy anyways.

 **XxX**

The bubbles that had once filled the oval tub had all but disappeared. Most of her body was now visible through the warm, clear water. She had her hair pulled up into a messy bun and the small strands she had missed were damp and sticking to her neck. Bulma had her eyes closed as she relaxed against the back of the tub.

The bath had been a great idea. She had soaked in the water for longer than she had anticipated but it had allowed her muscles to fully unwind. Now after a good thirty minutes she resembled a shriveled prune more than a human being and it was time to get out. Bulma leaned up and flipped the switch on the tub, releasing the drain plug. Humming to herself she crawled out and before grabbing a towel, Bulma leaned over the counter and wiped away the condensation from the mirror. She checked herself out and smiled, giving her reflection a satisfied nod.

 _Still got it!_ she thought conceitedly to herself _._ Even on the early side of thirty she looked more like a twenty year old. Thank Kami she took after her mother. Feeling smug with herself, Bulma grabbed a towel and began drying herself as she exited the chilly bathroom.

Once dry, she dressed in her pajamas and then slipped outside onto the balcony for her secret pleasure: a smoke. It was something she kept from the people closest to her. Well. . . attempted to keep from them. She was sure her mother had smelled the scent on her before, but if so, she had never said a word. Lifting a single cigarette to her mouth Bulma lit it and inhaled its smoky goodness. Holding the smoke inside her lungs for a few seconds she exhaled slowly and instantly relaxed against the railing. The sun had just dipped behind the large mountain range that ran a few miles south of West City, blanketing the world around her in darkness. Warm winds blew softly through her damp, tangled hair.

It felt good being outside at this time of night. Alone. She found that the older she got the more she didn't mind the quiet moments in life. Now that she was over the thirty mile mark, Bulma didn't feel the need to venture out each and every night like she had during her twenties. Find her some strawberry ice cream and and good drama and she was down for the night. It had been quite some time since she had enjoyed a peaceful night alone. . . With a cigarette. Lately, Yamcha had been dragging her out nightly to go gallivanting around with his teammates from the baseball team.

 _Oh, Yamcha. . ._

She took another hard puff off the cigarette, realizing she hadn't thought about him all day. Bulma frowned, feeling guilty. He was her boyfriend after all. He should be at the forefront of her mind. He shouldn't be something she forgot about. Though being cooped up in the lab usually _did_ distract her pretty well. But still. . .

"Blame Goku," she said out loud to herself.

It wasn't her idea to have _him_ stay here. And it wasn't her fault the bots weren't holding up against his attacks either. Bulma had been stuck down in the lab and had hardly seen the light of day in weeks, but she found she actually _did_ enjoyed the time she had by herself. She enjoyed working her fingers to the bone. Tweaking the bots to do this or that. Churning the gears in her mind, coming up with new ideas. She enjoyed getting grease in her hair and dirt under her nails. Sometimes Bulma preferred sweats and messy hair over make-up, short skirts, or high heels. But ever since Yamcha had been drafted onto the Tiatans Baseball Team he was all formal attire and group outings. And, unfortunately, so was she, as she was a permanent fixture upon his arm.

Her frown deepened even more, and she took another puff. He wasn't the rugged young man she used to know. He'd changed. In his defense, he still was the loving Yamcha she'd always knew. He still surprised her with gifts and took her out to eat at her favorite restaurants, but there was just something missing from him now and Bulma couldn't quite put her finger on it. Was the love she once felt for him dying? She quickly shook her head, banishing the thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about anything like that at the moment and took another long drag from the cigarette.

Bulma yawned, in desperate need of rest. Her mind was slowly slipping and it needed a recharge. But of course she couldn't have her sweet, peaceful rest that she so longed for just yet. Goku would soon be arriving to pick up an enhanced medical kit her father had developed years ago. Bulma had been able to tweak it slightly where the pack could easily heal a ki blast wound or any of the type. Goku hoped this device would appease Chi-Chi for the time being to allow Gohan to continue his training.

Sighing, Bulma took one last puff off the cigarette and tossed it away in the small bucket she had placed in the corner of her balcony, and just when she was about to slip back into her room a loud engine roared to life behind her. She turned around to see the lights of the gravity room illuminating the entire back yard. The door to the chamber slid open and Bulma caught sight of Vegeta's bare back as he walked toward the chamber. She stood and watched him as walked, transfixed. Bulma couldn't deny that her mother did have taste, he was a fine specimen of a man. But, even though he was pleasant to look at, it didn't excuse his temper. Bulma despised to confess it but a small, tiny, _insignificant_ part of her had enjoyed watching the veins swell in his neck when he would get angry and yell at her.

And, as if the man knew exactly what had just crossed her mind, he quickly turned and stared straight up at her; a frown on his face, eyebrows furrowed. Full blown embarrassment coated Bulma. She quickly backed up and blindly reached for the doorknob, their eyes never unlocking. Finally, after a moment of searching her hand found the doorknob and she quickly retreated inside her dark bedroom, slamming the balcony door shut behind her. She ran over onto her bed and buried her face in her blankets, praying to Kami above he hadn't noticed her beet red features.

 **XxX**

"Stupid woman," Vegeta murmured to himself as the door of the Gravity Chamber shut behind him.

He pulled the small pink capsule from his shorts, clicked the top, and tossed it before him. Once the smoke cleared four, shiny black bots sat gleaming upon the floor. Not wanting to waste any time with warm ups, Vegeta headed straight for the control panel ready to get the action underway. He turned the knob to the desired level, one he was quite used to, and hit the power button. The room instantly turned a deep crimson and Vegeta braced himself. Once the gravity began to take hold the small bots sparked to life and lifted up into the air, rotating quietly above his head.

Vegeta closed his eyes to center himself and after a moment of collecting a large amount of ki, he reopened his eyes and quickly shot the blast up toward the bots. He was quite surprised when they held up, but his surprise was short lived when they began tossing the ball of energy between each other as if they were playing catch. His brow arched, curious as to what they were doing. Within seconds a conclusion quickly came to mind: the woman had fucked them up. This wasn't normal behavior for the bots. A screw was loose somewhere. . . She hadn't tightened the bolts just right. . . Immediately frustrated, Vegeta took one step towards the control panel to shut off the gravity but was instantly stopped in his tracks by an agonizing pain in his side. The pain swiftly ran through his body at an alarming rate. It felt like molten lava was flowing through his veins with each pump of his heart. Vegeta fell quickly to the floor before he realized exactly what had happened to him.

As he shouted out in pain, blood splattered everywhere on the floor. He spit, his saliva feeling like acid in his mouth. His hands quickly pressed against his slick slide where the blast had come into contact. Blood was pooling around his body quickly. That damned woman had tweaked with the bots! She had messed them up and now he was paying the price! Pure rage and adrenaline began to take over his body. He had been caught by surprise by a fucking human! A woman of all beings! Vegeta was only seeing red. He knew it wasn't a mortal wound and once he was able to stand again he vowed to let that woman have it and he didn't care if he killed her or not.

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 **Author's Note:  
This story is the original Razorblade Romance by VegetaXxXInuyasha. Which is me.**

 **8/12/16- Rewritten and edited.**


	2. Two

**::TWO::**

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Bulma loved to read. It was one of her favorite pastimes that she rarely got to do. Tonight it was Wuthering Heights. A classic. Bulma loved everything about the book. The twisted love triangle. The backstabbing and conniving. The forbidden love. It was a personal favorite read and the proof was in its ruined spine and permanently flappy dog-eared pages. Bulma had retreated down into the living room to read while she waited on Goku to arrive for the medical kit; stopping first to make a cup of coffee (Jamaican Blue Mountain, of course).

She was curled up on the couch snuggled underneath a warm, velvet blanket with the old book upon her lap, sipping her coffee happily as a soft breeze blew gently through the opened French doors that led out onto the back porch. It was turning out to be a nice, quiet evening and she was enjoying it immensely. It had been quite a while since she had savored time alone with a book without interruption. Her mother wasn't around breathing down her neck and her father wasn't around to add additional commentary about work, which he tended to do often. Yamcha wasn't bombarding her phone constantly either. Though, perhaps that was because she hadn't bothered to let him know she had finished with work in the first place.

Bulma cringed and immediately felt guilty. Why hadn't she touched base with him yet? She was supposed to stay the night at his place, it was something she did every Thursday because he didn't have practice on Friday morning. Did a part of her not want his company? His calls? His texts? His touch? His. . . kiss? Did she truly just want to be alone? Bulma shook her head dismissing the troubling thoughts, not wanting to dwell on them any longer and continued reading on. And after a while it worked. Thoughts of her somewhat distraught love life filtered out of her mind and were replaced with images of Catherine's wild passion for Heathcliff as the two snuck around together right under Edgar's nose. An hour passed, and Bulma became so engrossed with her book she didn't even pay attention to the hum of the Gravity Chamber when it shut off. Her eyes never left the tattered pages, so she didn't even notice when danger stood menacingly on the back porch, staring at her through the opened double doors.

Until it was too late and he was on her. . .

In the blink of an eye Vegeta crossed the living room floor. His thick hand wrapped around her slender neck. She shrieked and dropped the book. Vegeta pushed her back and pinned her against the couch, his towering body hovering over hers dominantly. Her heart bounced erratically within her chest and his penetrating gaze caught hers. She found herself suddenly transfixed and unable to look away from his dark stare. He smirked and bent his head down towards hers, his warm breath brushing lightly against her flushed cheeks. Bulma blinked slowly, fear coating every inch of her body. It was then she noticed the blood. O _h my Kami, the blood!_ How hadn't she noticed it before?

Thick, drying, scarlet blood coated most of Vegeta's left arm and bare chest. She watched with fright as some dripped down from his forearm and onto her thin shirt, staining it with his lifeblood. Bulma attempted to scream but it was cut short when he began to squeeze, quickly cutting off her air supply. She gasped and reached up, attempting to pull his large fingers away from her throat before he crushed it but it was to no avail; Vegeta's hand was like a vice around her neck.

"Did you think that was going to be funny, woman?" he asked, his voice low and frightful, his stare never wavering from hers.

She blinked back tears that began to form as realization of what was happening began to make more sense. The bots. He must have used the bots. Bulma finally tore her eyes from his and she then caught sight of a large and bloody gash on is left side but she only saw it briefly before he tossed her to the other end of the couch. Bulma, terrified, attempted to scramble off the couch but was stopped when Vegeta forcefully grabbed her leg, pulling her back towards him. Trembling in his grasp, Bulma whimpered, attempting a quick apology, but no words came to mind. She was too frightened to make a coherent sentence. He wrapped his meaty fingers around her frail neck again and tears immediately blurred her vision.

Vegeta then slowly lifted her up off the couch. His gripped tightened, and she coughed and sputtered, trying to pry his fingers away from her neck. With a smirk upon his bloodied face, Vegeta held her above him, her feet dangling precariously above the ground. She attempted to scream again but as the last burst of air expelled from her lungs they constricted tightly within her chest, burning her throat. She tried kicking at him frantically hoping to, in the very least, release his grip slightly, but the monster below her only chuckled viciously through his clenched teeth as he watched her struggle for breath. Vegeta held a sadistic look in his eye and a smirk was still plastered upon his lips. He was clearly enjoying himself and he wasn't even trying to hide it.

"That little surprise isn't so funny now, is it?" Vegeta spoke softly, his voice able to pierce through the fog that began to cloud her mind. She opened her mouth in an attempt to speak but the burn in her throat and the fuzziness within her mind wouldn't allow it. She was beginning to lose it. Comprehensive thought was becoming a harder task to complete as her mind became jumbled.

"Oh? What's that? Squeeze tighter you say? Ha! Well, if you insist."

And he did; his hold way stronger than before. After a few last desperate attempts to kick him off, Bulma just gave up. Her strength was depleting the longer he held her airway closed. It was no use. She wasn't even bothering him as he still held her firmly, his grip never wavering. Finally her hands fell from around his wrist and hung limply at her sides, her eyes slowly sliding shut.

 _This is it_ , she thought. _This is how I die_.

The next thing she knew, Bulma was lying against the floor staring at Vegeta's filthy shoes. She gasped, coughing as her lungs took in the precious air of life.

 _Oh wonderful, beautiful oxygen!_

Her throat was on fire and each cough felt as though a razor were cutting deep gashes within. But she didn't care, she was alive! That was the only rational thought her mind could cling to at the moment. Feeling the tears coming in full force, Bulma curled up into a ball at his feet, hugging her knees to her chest, needing desperately to hold onto something solid.

 **XxX**

"What do you have to say for yourself you pathetic excuse for a human?"

A loud sob escaped the cowering woman before him as she began to cry noisily on the floor. This wasn't the answer Vegeta had hoped for. He had hoped to hear her beg for mercy. Beg for her life before he easily took it away.

"Shut up," he said flatly, annoyed.

Vegeta held his hand out, collecting a small amount of energy within. It was time to end this once and for all. He didn't have to put up with her _or_ her family. Or anyone else on this planet for that matter. Vegeta could train on his own. He didn't need this useless woman in front of him. He could train and grow stronger the old fashioned way. The way his father had taught him when he was only a boy. He didn't need this woman or her father's cheaply made technologies. Kakarot surely hadn't needed them when he ascended. But as that thought crossed his mind, Vegeta stopped himself and bristled. He hated to even think about it. He closed his eyes and shook the painful memories out of his head and turned his attention back to the sobbing woman in front of him who was about to be no more. Her fate was already sealed. Had been when the blast had hit his side. She had taken a cheap shot against him and she needed to be taught a lesson. And that lesson was death. No one took cheap shots on him and lived to tell the tale. He would enjoy seeing the light disappear from within her bright blue eyes. He had wasted so much time on her and for what? All she seemed to bring him were machines that could never hold up against his blasts. And though when the bots actually _did_ hold up he had noticed a slight improvement in himself but that was beside the point. The ball of energy he held in his hand now was enough to do the trick. He could end her in a second. It was just enough to mangle her small body but not too harsh as to destroy the entire side of the house. He smiled. _Yes_ , he was definitely going to enjoy this.

"Vegeta, what are you doing?" a voice called from behind.

Snarling, Vegeta jumped and quickly turned facing this new intruder; the ball of ki in his hand growing exponentially larger. His blood boiled at the sight before him. It was none other than Kakarot. Vegeta's jaw snapped shut; he was done with people sneaking up on him for the day. The lower class Saiyan stood outside on the back porch, standing there looking like a God in all his glory as the lights from the Gravity Chamber shone around his darkened silhouette. Vegeta's brow furrowed and he looked back down at the woman by his feet who had instantly stopped whimpering as soon his enemy had spoken. He watched as she quickly sat up, crawled away from his side and over to Kakarot who, in turn, bent down to examine her. He lifted up her chin slowly and she winced, her brow knitting together tightly as he accessed the damage. Let him. What was Kakarot going to do? Teach him a lesson? Though as much as he hated the fact that his number one enemy was now standing less than twenty feet before him, Vegeta was more curious as to _why_ he was here? Had the bitch silently contacted him somehow? Vegeta stared down hard at the injured woman. She had tricked him and deserved everything she had gotten. He was only sorry that he hadn't been able to finish what he had started. Vegeta dispersed the ki that surrounded his hand and balled his hands into fists at his sides, attempting to control his anger. Her neck was already turning black and blue and he watched as Kakarot let go of her chin, shaking his head.

"How could you do this to her, Vegeta?" Kakarot questioned.

He then patted the woman on the shoulder, giving her a small smile and nod before he stood, finally giving Vegeta his full attention. Vegeta went into defense mode. How _dare_ Kakarot question his actions? Kakarot was beneath him! He was a prince for crying out loud. Did anyone know how to treat him with respect nowadays? Kakarot should never question the prince of _all_ Saiyans! Vegeta's mind churned as his anger grew within.

"You see this?" Vegeta yelled, pointing to the bloody gash in his side. "This fucking woman did _this_ to me! ME!"

The veins in his throat threatened to pop as he shouted at the top of his lungs. Under Kakarot's scrutinizing gaze Vegeta felt cornered, his anger, along with his blood pressure, rising to the breaking point. Vegeta clenched his fists tighter, his nails digging into the skin of his palm, drawing blood.

"Now how did she do such a thing?" Kakarot asked gently, placing his hands upon his hips.

Vegeta could tell Kakarot held back a sneer and _that_ was when he finally snapped. Items within the room began to shake like the Gravity Chamber had earlier as his anger grew. Pictures trembled upon the walls while the floor beneath their feet began to buckle, some boards popping out of place. Vegeta was about to take a step forward when a sharp pain shot through his wound and straight up his spine, stopping him and reminding him quickly of the state he was actually in. Reality set in and after a moment the room around them finally quieted. He looked to the floor and was ashamed. How could he have let this lower class Saiyan get to him so easily? Kakarot was like the dirt on the bottom of his boot. Vegeta had better control over himself and he knew better than to try and pick a fight when he was in this sort of condition.

"Now how about we just all calm down and take a breather, huh?" Kakarot smiled, speaking calmly with his hands raised up in front of him as if he were surrendering. "I doubt Bulma could have done _that_ to you."

Vegeta said nothing. He didn't need to explain himself to Kakarot, a lower-class warrior. Vegeta straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. He pulled his gaze from Kakarot and turned to look out the window. The moon was shining brightly down upon him and he basked in its white grandeur for a moment, reminiscing the time when he still had his tail and all the glorious destruction that came with it. That was something else this filthy mud-ball of a planet had taken from him. Vegeta clenched his jaw as memories of when his tail had been stripped away from his body clouded his mind.

"Bulma has invited you into her home. Has fed you. Clothed you and gave you a place to sleep at night. Much less all the training gear anyone could ever hope for! She's given this to you to help you become stronger. We're all here to help each other out." Kakarot closed the gap between them slowly and placed a hand down upon Vegeta's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.

"I don't need your sympathy Kakarot." Vegeta brushed off his hand, never once taking his eyes off of the brilliant moon. "I did what I had to do."

"I'm not giving you my sympathy. I'm trying to help you Vegeta. Can't you see? We're _all_ trying to help you. No one is your enemy here. No one is out to get you. We're all in this together. The androids that are coming in three years, yeah, those are the ones you need to be worrying about." He gestured toward the woman on the floor who was still sniffing loudly behind them. "She's here to help you, not hurt you."

"Hn."

Hearing enough vomit spill from Kakarot's mouth, Vegeta turned and walked away from the younger Saiyan. He didn't want to be around Kakarot anymore. Vegeta wasn't in the mood to hear a life lesson about morals. Who was Kakarot? His mother? Growing up on earth had been the worst thing that could have happened to him and Vegeta slightly pitied him for it. Living around these beings had made him weak and venerable, stripping him of his true savage Saiyan heritage. Vegeta held back a yawn that threatened to escape as he turned the corner and exited the living room leaving the younger warrior behind to deal with the sniveling woman. His sleeping quarters were calling his name. And after he obtained a hot shower, dressed his wound appropriately, and then rested up, he would begin again tomorrow. Especially now since he officially knew about the new quirk she had applied to the bots. He would train all day and into the night if they held up.

 **XxX**

Goku stood watching Vegeta's bloodied back as he exited the living room. He wiped sweat off his brow, thanking Kami above he had gotten here when he had, otherwise. . . Goku shuddered to even think about it. _Oh Vegeta, when will you ever learn_? Hearing soft whimpers behind him, Goku turned around and looked down at Bulma. Sadness instantly swept through his body and he frowned. How ever would these two get along? Especially after this. Blowing out a puff of air, Goku walked back over to Bulma and bent down. He placed one hand on her shoulder and the other lifted her chin so she'd look at him in the eyes. Tears still fell silently down her puffy, red face and he wiped them away.

"You okay?" he questioned softly. She only nodded. "Can you talk at all?"

Bulma sat up a little straighter and Goku watched as she swallowed hard before speaking. "A. . . little. . ."

"Here, let me help you to your room, okay?"

He gave his friend a sweet smile that hopefully portrayed his sorrow for what had taken place here tonight. Goku scooped Bulma carefully up into his arms and retreated the same way Vegeta had.

Goku had known Bulma for as long as he could remember. She was practically his oldest friend and one he held dear to his heart. She was shaking and still held a hand clasped around her soft, bruising neck. How dare Vegeta treat her this way? And after everything everyone's been through together? Goku's brows furrowed in concentration as he took the stairs two at a time with his friend in tow. Once he reached the closed door of her bedroom Goku set Bulma down gently.

"Thank you, Goku," Bulma whispered placing a hand on the side of his face. Her bright blue eyes held a sadness Goku almost couldn't handle. His throat closed up slightly and his sinus' began to sting. He smiled, attempting not to let his emotions show through. The last thing Bulma needed was for someone like him to break down in front of her. Goku swallowed the dry lump in his throat, unable to speak at the moment. "That. . . kit."

"It's okay. I saw it downstairs. I'll pick it up on my way out," he said a little too quickly.

There was a pause and Bulma stared down at her feet, fidgeting slightly. "Look, Goku," she started, finally looking up and staring into his concerned face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen."

Goku was flabbergasted. "Bulma, are you serious?" He almost chuckled but quickly thought better of it when large tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes again. "Hey. . . Bulma. . . don't. It's not your fault," he said gently.

"But it is," she said, her bottom lip quivering. "It is my fault!"

Unable to stand to see her this way, Goku immediately reached for her and wrapped his arms around his friend. Bulma sighed heavily and let him hold her close. After a moment she relaxed against him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Goku almost lost it when she began to sob. He stared up at the ceiling, his chin resting upon the top of her head, willing is own tears not to spill from his very own eyes. He let her cry against him and he soon lost track of the time. But after a while her sobs lessened and Goku placed his hands upon her shoulders, kissing the crown of her head.

"Listen. . ." he began, unsure of how to continue. "Don't. . . Don't hold a grudge against him for what happened tonight."

Bulma instantly froze under his touch. She took a step back and stared up at him. "What. . . ?"

"Just, um. . ." He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back on the heels of his feet, attempting a light chuckle. "Just don't let him really get to you, okay? There's, and I know no one really believes me, but there _is_ a real person underneath that hard exterior of his. We all just have to try and find it." Bulma took another step back and placed a hand on the doorknob of her bedroom door.

He spoke quickly this time before she turned and left him alone in the hallway. "You didn't see the side of him I did before his life was taken by the hands of Frieza. You didn't see the actual tears he cried. You didn't see the human emotion that flowed from his hard eyes. I did, Bulma," he pleaded, his voice barely a whisper. "I did. And a man who supposedly has no heart _cannot_ shed tears like he did. I know there's a good person inside. I just hope you, and everyone else, can see what I saw in him that day."

Bulma attempted a small smile but Goku knew she was only doing it to appease him. "I hope so too." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Goku. Thank you. I'll call you in the morning about that kit."

Goku nodded once and she retreated inside her bedroom, shutting the door behind her and leaving Goku standing alone inside the dark hallway. He sighed heavily and hung his head. _You of all people need to see that side of him._ Thinking back to when Goku first learned about the destruction the androids were going to cause, the boy from the future had also told him to try an attempt to keep the peace between Bulma and Vegeta. Goku had promised the kid that much but already it seemed like it was going to be way easier said than done.

* * *

 **::AN::  
Updated 8/12/16**


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